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While cruises have rebounded somewhat, you still may experience issues related to reduced staffing while at sea. In July, The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ended its COVID-19 Program for Cruise Ships, putting the onus on cruise lines to create their own standards. "If you get sick on a cruise, they're going to take care of you. The care that I received was complimentary," he said. The company will also offer a pro-rated cruise fare refund if a cruise is cut short for reasons related to COVID-19, for cruises departing on or before September 30, 2022.
Crew strandings and repatriations
Viking on Sunday was forced to announce a major revision of its soon-to-begin, 120-day world cruise after India notified the line it was closing to cruise ships. Viking's 930-passenger Viking Star will begin its world cruise this week by heading south from Los Angeles to Central America and South America instead of sailing westward toward Asia, where it was scheduled to spend a significant amount of time in India. In conclusion, our ecologic study demonstrated the safe restart of cruise ship sector operations and indicated that mask use added an extra layer of protection; further studies should be conducted to verify the results. Masking should be considered in future public health emergencies when making decisions regarding NPMs and other measures that could interfere with international traffic and trade. ☐ Provide routinely recommended (age-specific), required (yellow fever), and recommended vaccines. ☐ Provide older travelers with a baseline electrocardiogram, especially those with coronary artery disease.
Princess
Although most cruise ship passengers come from countries with routine vaccination programs (e.g., Canada, the United States), many of the crew are from low- or middle-income countries where immunization rates can be low. Outbreaks of hepatitis A, measles, meningococcal disease, mumps, pertussis, rubella, and varicella have all been reported on cruise ships. The majority (82%) of these outbreaks occur among crewmembers; prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, varicella was the most frequently reported VPD.
What’s the risk of cruise ship COVID-19 transmission?
Every major cruise line has detailed procedures for handling coronavirus cases on board and protecting fellow passengers and crew. That percentage includes cases occurring within passengers in the five-day period after disembarkation that the health agency is notified about by state or local health departments, the CDC said. "Ship color status is determined using surveillance data from the previous 7 days – regardless of voyage dates – and CDC investigation findings," the CDC says on its website. Most cruise lines require adult passengers to show proof of vaccination against COVID-19, according to AP.
A Travel Advisor Guide to Understanding the Recent Ocean Cruise Updates
"The procedures put in place to resume passenger operations have successfully averted overwhelming onboard medical facilities and burdening shoreside hospital resources," the CDC said in a statement Monday. "However, CDC decided to temporarily extend the Order due to the continued spread of the Delta variant." The trade group also noted that it is "dismayed" by the level 4 travel health notice label, noting that vaccination rates on cruises are much higher than on land. ► Isolation on vaccination standard of excellence ships can be discontinued after 5 days.
Bulgaria
During the pandemic, an absence of mask-wearing measures resulted in large outbreaks onboard ships (8,9). Our study demonstrated reduced COVID-19 incidence rates because of the protective effect of masking onboard ships. We suggest integrating use of high-filtration masks into routine case management, outbreak response measures, and preparedness and contingency planning for future public health emergencies of international concern. The most frequently reported cruise ship outbreaks involve GI infections (e.g., norovirus), respiratory infections (e.g., coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19], influenza), and other vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), such as varicella. Even with stringent vaccination, testing and masking, among other protocols, it is fairly common for coronavirus cases to emerge among passengers and crew on cruise vessels.
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Are cruises safe? What you need to know about cruise ship security.
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Holland America Line
Therefore, aggressive efforts to contain transmission on board and prevent further transmission upon disembarkation and repatriation were instituted. Cruise ships are often settings for outbreaks of infectious diseases because of their closed environment, contact between travelers from many countries, and crew transfers between ships. On the Diamond Princess, transmission largely occurred among passengers before quarantine was implemented, whereas crew infections peaked after quarantine (6).
MSC Cruises
Some passengers who were deemed close contacts of the passengers who tested positive were isolated for a short period while being tested for COVID-19. But the positive cases had little impact on most of the passengers on board the vessel, and the voyage went ahead as planned. Travelers from diverse regions brought together in the often crowded, semi-enclosed shipboard environment can facilitate the spread of person-to-person, foodborne, and waterborne diseases.
Historically, influenza has been among the most often reported VPDs occurring on cruise ships. Because passengers and crew originate from all regions of the globe, shipboard outbreaks of influenza A and B can occur year-round, with exposure to strains circulating in different parts of the world (see Sec. 5, Part 2, Ch. 12, Influenza). Thus, anyone planning a cruise should receive the current seasonal influenza vaccine ≥2 weeks before travel if vaccine is available and no contraindications exist. For people at high risk for influenza complications, health care providers should discuss chemoprophylaxis and how and when to initiate antiviral treatment. During 2006–2019, rates of GI illness among passengers on voyages lasting 3–21 days fell from 32.5 to 16.9 cases per 100,000 travel days. CDC assists the cruise ship industry to prevent and control the introduction, transmission, and spread of GI illnesses on cruise ships.
Passengers are strongly encouraged to wear masks in public spaces and are required to do so in such indoor areas as elevators, stores, casinos and dining halls, except when eating or drinking. You typically won’t be required to wear masks around the pool and hot tubs, but deck chairs are spaced farther apart than in the past to maintain physical distance. Daigle laid out the progression of how cruise ship color codes are updated by the CDC.
Cruise ship COVID-19 outbreaks can tax onboard medical and public health resources. Ship-to-shore medical evacuations to facilities capable of providing higher levels of medical care can present logistical challenges and pose additional risks to ill patients. Respiratory illnesses are the most common medical complaint on cruise ships. During the pretravel visit, evaluate whether vaccines or boosters (e.g., COVID-19, influenza) are needed and emphasize the importance of practicing good respiratory hygiene and cough etiquette while onboard. As with GI illnesses, cruise ship passengers should report respiratory illness to the medical center promptly and follow isolation recommendations as instructed. "It is especially important that travelers who are at an increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19 avoid travel on cruise ships, including river cruises, worldwide, regardless of vaccination status," the agency added.
For now, the cancellation needs to be done by Jan. 31, and the refund would come in the form of a future cruise credit to be used on any sailing that embarks through Dec. 31. Norwegian Cruise Line on Wednesday canceled soon-to-depart voyages on eight of its 17 ships. The result is the detection of many asymptomatic cases that otherwise would have gone undetected. According to LGBTQI+ organizations, courts rejected the right of same-sex partners for protection against domestic violence because the law treats “spousal” only as applying to married persons who cannot legally be the same sex.
"Even fully vaccinated travelers may be at risk for getting and spreading COVID-19 variants," the CDC said on its website. Most cruise lines suggest you do wear masks in crowded indoor situations—but it’s not enforced. As was the case even before the pandemic, you will be asked at embarkation to fill out a questionnaire inquiring about your current health status and whether you currently have any symptoms of illness. Another large line, Norwegian, just last week extended its pandemic-era Peace of Mind policy to allow passengers to cancel any sailing taking place between now and May 31.
Cruise lines are reporting that the vast majority of passengers testing positive for COVID-19 in recent weeks are asymptomatic or have mild symptoms. Cruise lines in recent weeks have faced a growing number of ports that are balking at allowing ships with COVID-19-positive passengers or crew to dock. Still, the situation isn't anywhere near as dramatic or disruptive as what we saw at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic two years ago, when whole ships were being quarantined due to outbreaks of the illness and, eventually, the entire industry shut down.
As of Monday morning, there were 16 ships with green status, and some of those ships are on crew-only voyages. Most cruise lines have now dropped or are soon dropping rules for both vaccinations and precruise testing, with at least one notable exception. Viking—on its river, ocean, and expedition ships—still requires everyone on board be fully vaccinated.
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